Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-10-06
THE IRISH UNION.
Gladstone's Critique on Ingraham's
Hlstory-An Exceedingly Severe
Judgment Passed Upon 1t.
The Author Charged With Complete
Ignorance of Irish Matters-The
German Version of the Front
tier Shooting ARRAY.

| LONDON, Sept. 2S.-Mr. Gladstone has
crltlque In The Nineteenth Century on
lngraham's History of the Irish Union :.
DE says this work Is not history at all; it
| offers no inquiry into the graver charges
against the authors of the union and does
not show even documentary KNOWLEDGE
| OF the leading facts of Irish affairs. Mr..
Gladstone says he himself after long striy-
Ing to obtain an acquaintance with the ex-
| perlence of unhappy Ireland, now knows
| just enough to be aware that his know
| ledge of 1t Is imperfect and to have an
mixing of the magnitude and com plsxity
of the task of the Thucydides Of the Irish
union, who has not yet mouIted above
the horizon. An inquiry into the fact
presents unusuel difficulties. The records
OF the Irish government for over thirty
years was kept profound secret.
Further, there has been something an
preaching a systematic extinction of
documents by the individuals concerned.
The inference is that the history of the
union must be hidden from the ewes of
men.
Mr.4iladstone proceeds to show that
the charges of corruption brought against
Lord CORVALLIS were true. Referring to
the list OF promises to the supporters OF
the union, which Lord CORVALLIS sent to
the duke of Portland, be says: "The
stencil of this shameful record is too
foul for publicity even safter two genera
tions have passed away. Not only cor
raption, but fragrant intimidation and
savage repression were used to obtain
the union. Corpwallis declared is July,
1893, that the forces in Ireland sufficed
to preserve the peace, but not to meet a
foreign invasion. What picture of the
unhappy country. A force of $4,000
men is necessary to keep thepeace among
disarmed people of 100000"
EFFECT OF THE POLICY.
He contends that the methods taken to
promote the union stopped the tendency
toward the growth of religious harmony,
uplaced the protestant clique in power,
arrested the good disposition of the Irish
parliament, reversed the balance of
strength of the parties by transferring
the British and Castle influence to the
union side. In order to sustain this
policy religious passions were let loose,
Orange1sm was famed to ipflame those
passions, and party of united Irishmen
driven to disaffectien and taught to de-
pend upon foreign aid. Through the
continuance of this system a reign of
terror was established and portion of
people previously distinguished for 10y
atty, was driven into rebellion under cir
cumstances which warrants the belief
that such rebellion was fostered by the
government in order to promote the
system of ferOcious repression.
After the rebellion had been reDu "a
system of intimidation was activel, J.
held by the robbery, devastation, re 20,
torture and murder which were commit
ted continually, the government shield
ing the perpetrators. In conclusion, Mr.
Gladstone argues that the Irish parlia-
ment was not constitutionally competent
to surrender its powers; that the opinion
of the country at that time as shown by
petition of 100000 Irishmen, was never
invalidated by the subsequent change of
national opinion.